Tonganoxie man wins $20,000 on what would have been late wife’s birthday

It's been a difficult year for Robert Sanderson and his family, but Nov. 21 was a special day.

Sanderson's wife of 32 years, Evelyn, died last month after a long illness. But what happened on Nov. 21, which would have been Evelyn's 71st birthday, makes Sanderson wonder whether his wife is still looking out for him.

"I bought two $2 Bonus Crosswords at the store at 5 a.m. that morning and took them home to scratch off," Sanderson explained. "I was excited because I thought I'd won $2,000 on one of them. It wasn't until I got to the Lottery office that I found out I'd really won $20,000.

"I have to give my wife some credit for that. It's a good thing to happen after all the stress and sadness of the past year."

Sanderson has been retired since 2004 and says he will use the prize money to have some work done on his car and save the rest.